10 Calorie Blasters for Summer!
by Denise Austin |
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Workouts
Summer is HERE - and I couldn't be more excited to share some 10 quick calorie blasters for summer! It's my favorite time of year: I love BBQs, reading outdoors, going for long walks in the evening, and taking advantage of all the things warm weather offers up! One thing to keep in mind this summer, as you enjoy cookouts spending time outdoors is to not let your healthy goals go to the wayside! The good news is you CAN enjoy yourself and still take little bitty steps to prevent gaining weight or falling off your workout routine. My 10 quick calorie blasters for summer list can guide the way!Here are some tips on stepping your activity up just a notch this summer - trust me, you won't even know you're doing these calorie blasters, and all these extra steps will really go a long way to helping you feel and look your best! You can get more information like this in my Stop The Clock Fitness and Nutrition Guide Bundle, too!! Two downloadable, printable guides to help you get in shape through fitness and food!! Everything you need to tone up, eat right, and look Fit and Fab After 40!!
My Calorie Blasters:
- Dance your dinner off. After dinner, I love to turn on my favorite tunes and dance around! The beat will keep you moving your feet, not to mention burning off some extra calories! Try it - and remember, it's OK to look a little silly, that's part of the fun!
- Stand up every hour on the hour and stretch your arms overhead. It opens your chest and brings oxygen into your lungs. It’s great for circulation and enhancing your energy level. If you can, throw in one minute of jumping jacks to really get the blood flowing and up that calorie burn level! Try this AM/PM Tension Tamer stretch - it really works!
- Take the stairs instead of elevators. In addition to burning more calories, you’ll save time - one study showed that waiting to ride an elevator takes twenty seconds longer than climbing up one flight of stairs! Plus, now with elevator wait times and rules in effect, taking the stairs may be even faster than waiting! Today, see if you can take the stairs at least once when you normally wouldn’t. Then tomorrow, do it twice. In no time, you’ll be a stair master! If you need to go up several flights and climb them all, try a combination of the stairs and elevator. Every step counts!
- Walk up the escalator rather than just riding along. You’ll burn calories and get to where you’re going in no time.
- Ride your bike. Start running your errands when you can run by bike. Biking (indoor or out) is fantastic exercise because it helps tone your legs and gives you a great fat-blasting cardio workout.
- Use your stairs more often. If you live in a house with more than one level, bring things up or down the stairs as needed rather than letting a pile gather and then doing so.
- Try this wall squat next time you’re chatting on the phone: Stand up and lean your back lightly against a wall, making sure to press your spine flat. Then, as if you are sitting down in a chair, slowly lower your body along the wall until your knees are bent to at least a forty-five-degree angle (but don’t go lower than ninety degrees). Hold that position for as long as you can. Start with twenty seconds and work your way up to sixty-second intervals. Repeat the exercise every few minutes during a phone call and you’ll really give those thighs a workout! (For more workouts like this, check out my YouTube "Fidget-Cisors"!)
- Stand while you work. With many of us still working from home, the necessity of walking to a co-workers office or to use the copier is gone... and sitting may have become the norm. In addition to making sure you stand up and move a little each hour, find an area in your home where you can stand and work. If there isn't an option, try to stand during calls or times when you don't need to be typing, Standing burns more calories than sitting, and you know my motto: You rest, you rust!!!
- Get the kids moving... and join in! Childhood obesity is a huge epidemic, and with school and camp not following typical schedules, you may notice your kiddos spending more time indoors on their screens. So make getting up and doing stuff fun and rewarding!! Kids love stopwatches and being timed - see how long it takes them to run around the yard, make cleaning up their rooms a mini competition with a fun reward, and maybe most important - join in - go for family walks after dinner, have family dance offs, or see who can do the most push ups. Everyone will benefit! You’ll help establish healthy habits at a young rate - and that’s priceless.
- Lift and lengthen your legs while you cook. I stretch my legs like a ballerina using my kitchen countertops. Just lift your leg, place your heel on the counter and, with your abs in, fold over your leg and reach for your toes. If you do this and other stretches often enough, you will be able to touch them one day!